Pinball museum opens in Asheville

Asheville Pinball Museum

Shannon McCarthy, 33, of Asheville, N.C., said she was the first customer at the Asheville Pinball Museum. The museum recently opened in downtown Asheville. It features more than 30 vintage machines from various eras. The museum is interactive and visitors can play the machines.

ALEX C. HICKS JR./Halifax Media Services

By DAN ARMONAITISHalifax Media Services

Published: Sunday, October 20, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, October 17, 2013 at 4:54 p.m.

ASHEVILLE – Atlanta residents Burton and Rebecca Posey were recently on their way home from visiting relatives in Virginia when they decided to make a stop in Western North Carolina's most populous city.

The married couple, in their early 30s, were strolling near Asheville's historic shopping center, Grove Arcade, when Burton saw something that grabbed his attention.

Across the street, on the ground floor of the Battery Park Hotel, was a window sign for the Asheville Pinball Museum.

“When I saw it, I had to stop in,” Burton said. “It's really neat. I'm glad that there's something around like this. Pinball machines are kind of magical. To me, they're like an amusement park wrapped into this little box.”

Taking a quick break from playing such classic machines as 1981's Black Hole and 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Burton revealed that his interest stemmed not only from childhood nostalgia but also from the fact that he works as a video game developer.

“I get to do a lot of interesting stuff but nothing like this,” Burton said. “These machines require a lot of craftsmanship. It's a blend of manufacturing and technology.”

The museum only opened Aug. 30, meaning that the Poseys are not the only ones discovering it for the first time.

Given that there are nearly three dozen machines from various eras available for play, first-time visitors are sometimes overcome with a sense of wonder.

“I've seen grown men raise their arms up in almost praise to these machines,” said T.C. Di Bella, a 46-year-old Enka Middle School teacher who owns and operates the museum. “Some of these machines, they haven't seen in 30 or 40 years, and they just get so excited.”

The interactive museum, which allows visitors to play as many games as they'd like for a daily fee ($10 for adults, $7 for children 12 and younger), features pinball machines from as far back as 1950.

Above each machine is a small placard with information about it, including the year, manufacturer, number produced, designer and artist.

In many cases, the machines offer a glimpse into the pop-culture trends of the second half of the 20th century.

Big Chief, a pinball machine from 1965, reflects a time when cowboys and Indians were still popular, and 1970's Aquarius is a nod to the hippie era.

Some of the machines are based on such superheroes as the Amazing Spider Man and Superman, while others pay homage to rock stars (1976's Elton John-themed Captain Fantastic) and sports icons (1977's Bobby Orr Power Play).

Movie tie-ins were especially popular in the 1990s as evidenced in the Asheville Pinball Museum by the presence of such games as Jurassic Park and The Flintstones.

“It brings back a lot of memories,” said Darryl Smutz, 67, of Richmond, Va., who recently visited the museum with his grandsons Tyler and Evan Moore, who live in Asheville.

Evan, 8, said that he and his 12-year-old brother had previously been to the museum with their mother and now wanted to show it to their grandpa.

“I like (pinball) because it's cool how you pull the (plunger) back and you hit the ball and then everything lights up,” Evan said. “It's a lot of fun for kids, and it can be fun for adults too.”

<p>ASHEVILLE – Atlanta residents Burton and Rebecca Posey were recently on their way home from visiting relatives in Virginia when they decided to make a stop in Western North Carolina's most populous city.</p><p>The married couple, in their early 30s, were strolling near Asheville's historic shopping center, Grove Arcade, when Burton saw something that grabbed his attention.</p><p>Across the street, on the ground floor of the Battery Park Hotel, was a window sign for the Asheville Pinball Museum.</p><p>“When I saw it, I had to stop in,” Burton said. “It's really neat. I'm glad that there's something around like this. Pinball machines are kind of magical. To me, they're like an amusement park wrapped into this little box.”</p><p>Taking a quick break from playing such classic machines as 1981's Black Hole and 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Burton revealed that his interest stemmed not only from childhood nostalgia but also from the fact that he works as a video game developer.</p><p>“I get to do a lot of interesting stuff but nothing like this,” Burton said. “These machines require a lot of craftsmanship. It's a blend of manufacturing and technology.”</p><p>The museum only opened Aug. 30, meaning that the Poseys are not the only ones discovering it for the first time.</p><p>Given that there are nearly three dozen machines from various eras available for play, first-time visitors are sometimes overcome with a sense of wonder.</p><p>“I've seen grown men raise their arms up in almost praise to these machines,” said T.C. Di Bella, a 46-year-old Enka Middle School teacher who owns and operates the museum. “Some of these machines, they haven't seen in 30 or 40 years, and they just get so excited.”</p><p>The interactive museum, which allows visitors to play as many games as they'd like for a daily fee ($10 for adults, $7 for children 12 and younger), features pinball machines from as far back as 1950.</p><p>Above each machine is a small placard with information about it, including the year, manufacturer, number produced, designer and artist.</p><p>In many cases, the machines offer a glimpse into the pop-culture trends of the second half of the 20th century.</p><p>Big Chief, a pinball machine from 1965, reflects a time when cowboys and Indians were still popular, and 1970's Aquarius is a nod to the hippie era.</p><p>Some of the machines are based on such superheroes as the Amazing Spider Man and Superman, while others pay homage to rock stars (1976's Elton John-themed Captain Fantastic) and sports icons (1977's Bobby Orr Power Play).</p><p>Movie tie-ins were especially popular in the 1990s as evidenced in the Asheville Pinball Museum by the presence of such games as Jurassic Park and The Flintstones.</p><p>“It brings back a lot of memories,” said Darryl Smutz, 67, of Richmond, Va., who recently visited the museum with his grandsons Tyler and Evan Moore, who live in Asheville.</p><p>Evan, 8, said that he and his 12-year-old brother had previously been to the museum with their mother and now wanted to show it to their grandpa.</p><p>“I like (pinball) because it's cool how you pull the (plunger) back and you hit the ball and then everything lights up,” Evan said. “It's a lot of fun for kids, and it can be fun for adults too.”</p>